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Our Year Ahead
What's Coming Up for HHCC?
We get asked this question a lot - particularly at this time of the year. We do have big plans for 2016. Currently Habitat has nine homes under active construction, and twelve more that are on our construction calendar to start this year. This special issue of our e-news focuses on plans for the coming year, and the work that is underway as we prepare to build even more homes. We are looking right now at sites that may become Habitat houses - but not until in 2020!
  
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 2016 - Celebrating 100 Homes
 
Yes, we will celebrate 100 completed homes in 2016! We like to think of this in terms of impact - 100 families whose lives have been changed. We will honor this accomplishment at a spring Gala celebration on April 28th at Waquassett Resort in Harwich, featuring a very special guest star. Want to know who? Look for the announcement in a future newsletter.
  
Construction News
  
In 2016 we will dedicate six homes that are currently under construction in Harwich, two in Barnstable, and one in Eastham. We expect to be scheduling these dedications from early spring to summer, but the exact dates will depend on how well the weather cooperates.
  
We plan to start construction on twelve new homes  in 2016. Six in West Yarmouth have foundations in place, and infrastructure work has already begun to bring in a road and utilities. Four homes in Chatham are also underway. Three of the Chatham homes are situated on a very steep incline, and we have a professional framing crew who have generously volunteered their time to help with this tricky exterior framing job. Once framed, these homes will be turned over to our trusty community construction volunteers. The fourth home will also be completed - start-to-finish - by community volunteers. Look for Chatham and Yarmouth to start in the spring, weather-willing. Family selection is already underway for these ten homes.
  
Next fall we anticipate starting construction on two homes in Mashpee. Home applications for these homes will open this winter. If you know anyone who would benefit from this opportunity, please spread the word. Information will be available on our website as soon as the applications open.
  
Permitting News
  
We are always thinking into the future at Habitat. The permitting process for a new home can take several years, depending on the complexity of the project and the site. That means that while volunteers are working on homes today, our construction team is prepping sites for volunteers to build in one to two years, and our land acquisition team is actively pursuing permits for homes that may not be built for another two to five years. Our timeline of possibilities goes out to the year 2020. We are currently permitting for homes on land that we own in Brewster, Wellfleet, and Truro. If you are interested in seeing the site plans for any of these, let us know and we will be happy to share them. Until the zoning details are worked out, nothing is certain, but we hope to be able to build 23 homes total on those sites.
  
In addition to permitting, our land acquisition team is also responsible for finding and assessing new possibilities for future sites. We are currently in the early discussion stage for sites in Harwich, Dennis, and Falmouth. Assessing feasibility involves considering septic capacity, topography, environmentally sensitive species, utilities, and construction costs - so what happens next is anyone's guess. With luck, some of the discussions today may yield Habitat homes tomorrow.

ReStore News
 
Did you know that the ReStore increased its contribution to our affiliate by over 20% this past fiscal year? This helps us build more homes for more families in need. With business booming at the ReStore, we expanded our hours to include Tuesday. Last year we spent some time considering the merits of opening a second ReStore. After considerable research, we determined that this is not the time for a second store. This doesn't mean we will never open another store, but we are holding out for just the right location at just the right time! In the meantime, we have purchased a second ReStore truck and secured warehouse space to store extra merchandise. This means we will be able to pick up donations much more quickly. We like to remind folks that the ReStore is another great volunteer opportunity at Habitat - the crew at the ReStore knows how to have fun (and they almost always have M&Ms)!
 
Other News
 
We are thrilled to once again be a major beneficiary of Cape Cod Charitable FunRaisers, which means we will again participate in Roll the Rock (so get your bowling shoes ready for April 1), Last Gasp in September, and Spectacle of Trees in December. Last year, these three events raised over $76,000! This year, watch for info on a new event, the "Nine is Fine" golf event. Speaking of golf, St. John's church will once again hold their Golf Tournament - on May 16 at the Ridge Club in Sandwich - with Habitat as one of the beneficiaries. 
 
HHCC has just been listed in the Cars for Homes newsletter as an "On Fire" affiliate. This means our Cars for Homes donations keep increasing every year - so keep those vehicle donations coming! Whether you contribute a car or write a check, please make sure to send it to us at HHCC, and keep your money here on Cape Cod.
 
Of course we have even more news! We'll be unveiling a new website in 2016 - work is already underway and we'll let you know when it is ready. It's going to be beautiful and easier to navigate, and much easier to access.
 
And we are resuming an old tradition - bringing back the Outer Cape Chapter. Originally, HHCC had three regional chapters, but two of them disbanded when the organization became more centralized and additional staff took on some of the duties the chapters had performed. The Upper Cape Chapter, however, has continued to meet. They appreciate staying up-to-date on all the latest Habitat news, and also truly enjoy each other's company. And the Habitat staff appreciate their feedback and honest, view-from-the-street observations, which have been very helpful. The Outer Cape Chapter meetings will be held the second Wednesday of each month, 5-7:30 at the Old Firehouse, 44 Main Street, Orleans. Upper Cape Chapter Meetings are held the first Monday of each month 6:00-7:00pm, at the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce, 5 5 North market Street, Mashpee Commons. If you would like to receive monthly chapter reminders, contact Dawn Walnut at [email protected] and ask to be put on the list - be sure to specify which chapter.
  
Here's to 2016 - may it be a good one for you and yours. With many thanks,
 
     Your Friends at Habitat
  
  

We are deeply saddened to say goodbye to Barb Leiden, who passed away last Saturday. Barb has volunteered with Habitat since 2003, always with her beloved husband Rob by her side. They were leaders in our Outer Cape Chapter, sold kayak raffle tickets, and worked in every area of construction. In recent years, they found their calling as core volunteers at the Habitat ReStore, where Barb never arrived without baked goods for the other volunteers. In addition, Barb volunteered for the Red Cross, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Salvation Army, and as a Chatham Lighthouse Keeper.

Hers was a life of kindness, and she will be missed.

 

Barb's Obituary can be found here



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